Posted on September 18, 2015 by Kate Halsall
I had a harsh reminder to never take what would seem part of a normal routine for granted on holiday this week. I’d set up a little station in the gym and set up a barbell to press. I was chatting away and not paying attention to what I was doing and as I lifted the bar my lower back went into complete spasm. I don’t honestly know what I did wrong, the bar was light for me, I was a little cramped for room, but whatever I did I couldn’t continue the rest of my session and only just managed 20 lengths in the pool afterwards. Worst still, it’s still affecting my training. Grrr.
Whether you are injured, have a previous injury or are fit and well; I cannot stress how important lifting technique is. So to help you learn from my mistakes, here are my tips about how to lift correctly.
- Make sure the area is clear. You don’t want to be lifting anything if there are other obstacle’s in the way, and make sure you have enough space to do the lift itself.
- Watch your back. Whether you’re bending from a chair, bed or standing position; our backs are only meant to move in certain ways. You need to try and keep your spine as flat/straight as possible and use your abdominal muscles to help support it.
- BEND YOUR KNEES! Our legs are much stronger than our back muscles. They should take the brunt of the lifts. Bend your knees not your back and use your legs to their full extent.
- Keep your feet flat. Don’t be tempted to roll onto the balls of your feet, keep those heels flat and place your feet least shoulder width apart so you have a good grounding and centre of gravity. You should also stand close to the object.
Regardless of whether it’s picking something up off the floor, or picking up weights in the gym – we need to do it properly. If you’re still in any doubt about what good lifting practice is, here’s a little quiz you can take – no prizes, it’s just for fun!